1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to drapery support devices and, more particularly, to such devices having multiple tracks for supporting drapery panels suspended from carriers retained in said tracks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many types of drapery support devices known in the art. Such devices commonly are used to support draperies or room divider panels suspended from a ceiling for aesthetic and/or utilitarian purposes.
Structures known in the art for supporting drapery panels commonly include either single or multiple track traverse bars in which carrier members are movable along the length thereof. The drapery panels may be provided with pins or hooks with their bight portions engaged in apertures formed in the carriers for supporting the panels from the tracks. It also is known in the art to provide for the use of draw rods positionable proximate the lead edge of the suspended drapery panels for movement of the drapery panels along the support device to open or close the same. Drapery support devices of the type described above are illustrated in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,419,486; 3,743,002; 2,848,734; 3,883,924; 2,966,695; 3,975,792; 3,248,749; 3,983,921; 3,278,980; 4,357,983.
Although these prior patents describe a variety of types of drapery support devices, none of the patents shows a dual track drapery support device including a plurality of depending, movable individual carriers for supporting the drapery panels, and a respective integral master carrier positioned in each track for supporting the lead edge of respective drapery panels therefrom and moving the individual carriers positioned on the track behind the master carrier when said master carrier is moved to open said drapery panels. The device of the present invention provides such a dual track drapery support device with an integral master carrier with multiple depending lugs for supporting the lead edge of a drapery panel to facilitate opening and closing of the panels without applying such force thereto which might tear or distort the panels in their hanging mode.